Diwali means a lot of gifts, and a bottle of whisky is one of the easiest ways to get it right. This year, the box matters almost as much as what is inside. Some come with glasses, some with a mug, and some with artwork you would want to keep on the shelf. Indian single malts now sit next to Scotch and American bourbon in gift packs, which gives you more to pick from than ever. Here are five bottles worth giving this festive season in an exclusive gift pack from Godawan and GianChand to gift edition by Buffalo Trace Distillery.
A blended malt Scotch with ripe pear, cherry and toffee, kept in port and Madeira casks. INCEPTION blends eight single malts from Scotland, and part of the liquid matures in first-fill tawny port and rare Madeira wine casks. It is non-chill filtered and bottled at 47.1 per cent, with gentle smoke and subtle peat balancing the raisin sweetness. The whisky was named Best Overall Scotch at the New York World Spirits Competition 2024. D’YAVOL is the luxury collective backed by Shah Rukh Khan and Aryan Khan, and its range also includes the Single Estate Vodka and VORTEX Scotch.
A Rajasthan single malt packed with two whisky glasses in a box inspired by local colours and patterns. The pack holds a bottle of Godawan 01 Rich and Rounded, distilled in Alwar from locally sourced six-row barley by The Good Craft Co., Diageo India’s craft and innovation hub. The whisky matures first in Pedro Ximenez sherry casks, and part of it then moves to bourbon barrels treated with the botanicals rasna and jatamansi. The pack is sold in Delhi, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Goa, Telangana, Assam, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.
A bourbon gift pack with a keepsake mug made for outdoor use. Buyers choose between Buffalo Trace Bourbon and Weller Special Reserve, and each edition comes with a limited-edition Whiskey Mule Mug. The mug is designed for picnics, weekend getaways and outdoor gatherings, which gives the gift a use beyond the festive season. The Gift Edition is sold in retail stores only.
A limited-edition single malt inspired by one of the first sunrises of the year in New Zealand. It is the fourth release in the annual A Night on Earth series, which honours New Year traditions across the globe. The Macallan Whisky Mastery Team combined sherry-seasoned American and European oak casks with a sparing share of American oak that previously held bourbon. The nose carries caramelised marshmallows and berry compote, and the palate moves to pavlova, stone fruit, coconut and Manuka honey, at 43 per cent ABV. Wellington-based artist Bonnie Brown illustrated the packaging with three vignettes of sunset, celebration and first light.
Three gift boxes for Signature, Adambaraa and Manshaa, built around the brand campaign The Pursuit of Craft. DeVANS Modern Breweries began with a five-acre distillery in Jammu in 1961, set up by Dewan Gian Chand. Adambaraa is an unpeated single malt matured in American bourbon casks and inspired by Himalayan heritage and Dogra hospitality. Manshaa is a peated expression, also matured in American bourbon casks, and both are non-chill filtered. The boxes are available at retail outlets across Gurgaon, Punjab, Chandigarh, Goa and Jammu.